The ‘Asabiya of African-American Muslims and an American Christian Response

Abstract

The following article contends that the historical context of the African-American community within North America has produced a need for African-Americans to find a new identity. The development of Islam within this community has provided the basis for ‘asabiya, group identity, which is neither American nor African. Within the contemporary social setting of the African-American community, primarily in the urban areas of the United States, the development of Black Muslim groups during the early 1990s has been seen as a moral force within urban communities. This has enabled African-American Christians to participate in Black Muslim community projects even though uncertainties still remain regarding the Islamic basis of these projects.